How To Write Your First Small Business Plan - When You Haven’t Got A Clue

By Christie Adams

This basic business planning book will take you from a blank page to a basic plan. It's not rocket science. This is for those of you who want to turn pro but haven't got a clue where to start.

Are you thinking of creating your own creative business, but literally don't have a clue where to start?

Too embarrassed to ask for help?

Business Planning isn't hard but it can be daunting if you don't even know where to begin. It breaks down each stage so it's easy to understand.

 

This book includes the basics of:

Mission and vision

Strategy and ethics

Product and goals

Financials and risk management

Stakeholders and Mentors

Marketing and Branding

 

This isn't dumbing down. It's empowering you, enabling you to do this stuff all on your own. It explains the jargon and walks you through each step on your journey to your very first business plan. At last you'll hold your head up high when you see your bank manager or investor who wants to see 'the plan.'

You'll soon be wondering what all the fuss was about, confident in your plan, and getting down to building your business. Who knows where it could lead?

 

The perfect starting point for the future entrepreneur.

Essential Reading For Creatives Stepping Up From Hobbyist To Business

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laydon Press
• Release date: Mar 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201775278

Christie Adams

Christie Adams is a Writer, Coach and Entrepreneur. *** She writes short stories and fiction for adults and children. She’s currently working on a dystopian thriller set in her childhood city, Sheffield, England and a fairy story with her granddaughter. *** Her early career was in the corporate world, she used to escape the stress by diving into books. As her family grew older she decided to indulge her love of words and writing and studied in her spare time. She now very proudly holds a degree in Literature. *** Her work and love of travel currently takes her around the globe. She’s keen to encourage others to follow their dreams and see more of the world and create their own written legacy. *** Christie lives happily in South Yorkshire with her family, indulging her inner child and keenly fighting stereotypes of those aged over 50. *** You can contact her on social media: *** Twitter https://twitter.com/ChristieAdams23 *** Facebook https://www.facebook.com/christieadams23/ *** Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christieadamswriter/

Book preview

WHAT YOU GET, AND WHAT YOU DON'T

I’m going to walk you through the whole small business planning process. I’ll break it down into manageable chunks, simple steps and explain it all in plain English.

You don't need a business degree to understand it all, because I have kept the jargon to a minimum.

By the end of the book, you will have created your first basic small business plan. You can then decide if you wish to do a deep dive into specific areas. I talk about the basic finance elements, but because laws vary so much across the globe, I won’t be going into the detailed financial planning you may need to get grants or loans. I recommend, almost insist, you seek experts or start up support groups in your area and niche. They provide community and advice, and they might just buy your product or services, so start networking. I realise you may be an introvert, but you’ll be able to find valuable resources online that you can reach from your office chair or sofa.

The basic business plan you can create here will help you show people you mean business and are approaching this professionally. It will start you on that small business journey. You can’t build without foundations, so let’s roll our sleeves up and start building.

WHY ME

Why am I the one you should listen to about Business Planning? Well, I’m not. The one, that is. I’m just one of the many people you can give you an opinion on this.

Who am I? I’m a woman who has been through many pivots and kept so many plates spinning I felt like applying to work at Cirque du Soleil. This little book is my way of giving back to you at the beginning of your planning journey.

I’m a writer and coach living in the best county in the world, South Yorkshire, in the North of England, and I work from home. By choice. It hasn’t always been that way. In previous lives, I’ve been in the military, a small business owner, insurance technician, team manager, IT systems tester, mentor / volunteer in non-profits, researcher, trainer, risk manager and a whole bucket load of other stuff along the way. Oh, and I worked in business planning management.

Redundancies and restructures, the polite word for getting rid of staff, promotions and complete career path shifts, led me through a whole long list of pivots and changes. Some more appreciated than others. Whilst at the time they were often stressful, I got through them all. I am here to tell the tale and help you learn the lessons with less stress.

My next path careered (see what I did there) through university admissions, training (I love sharing knowledge and skills), data analytics, research and development, and of course, business planning, again. All of which happened alongside life as a single parent, part-time student and married grandmother. Now I work as a freelance writer, author, podcaster, blogger, vlogger, novelist and motivational coach. The whole point of the rambling bio is to reassure you that life can be far from a straight path. It’s complicated. S**t happens, but I am a firm believer that having a plan can help. It really can. My experience is wide and varied, having advised blue chip global companies through to public sector organisations and sole traders. I’ve been there, seen how it’s done, and picked up a few ideas along the way. I not only wore the t-shirt, I now sell them, it’s all part of the entrepreneur multiple income mindset.

Why this book?

One of the fundamental things that got me through the bad days was knowing I had a plan. I hope you won’t mind me sharing a quick story with you. It’s about a day that is forever tattooed on my memory. I remember where I was, even the colour of the desk and chairs. That day, or rather the advice I received, planted the tiny seed that grew into my mission to help others. To help them avoid the pitfalls of using a ‘make do and mend’ sticking plaster approach to planning.

I was losing my job, again, our dept was closing. All those years of working hard trying to do the right thing, well, they didn’t count for anything. We were all out of a job. I had bills to pay, a daughter to feed, a roof to keep over my head. It was terrifying. I sat and cried. Now I’m not one for sympathy, I can’t stand it. I rebel against it. I see no value in it. Instead of a kind word or pity party, a colleague sat down with me, with a pen and paper. They ignored my tears and told me I needed a plan. We sat and wrote everything down. I stopped crying and my passion for planning was born. That plan enabled